X-Factor

Exiles was too short to have some impact.

I wasn't much of a follower of past incarnations of the team, but I think with the limited run given to Jeff Parker he did a great job redefining the premise of the Timebrokers and time sliding in the MU. Hopefully, one day he'll get another chance to play with the characters.

X-Factor #50

My favorite book comes to a close before re-upping at 200. There's a lot to digest here, so reading from issue #1 til now AGAIN is probably essential--especially if you're like me and have a punchlist with 10-20 other books a week. So, yes, there's a lot more "explaining" here than "showing" and that's normally a graphic novel's no-no; but you knew PAD only had this one issue to wrap it up, and he did the best he could.

The excitement of it all is a 10 on the richter scale but without the lack of a complete visual you know it's probably not the most grand of X-Factor issues there is. Despite this, the issue's still an outstanding way to wrap a gazillion threads up, and in typical PAD fashion does still shock and awe the shit out of us.

4/5 Bags&Boards = Excellent

It stinks.

I liked this issue. Peter David basically wrapped up everything he's been doing for ages and set things all up for a fresh start. Not sure how much he made up as he went along and how much he had planned out but everything all seemed to click together pretty sweetly and I loved how he brought things all back to Layla at the start. I really like her character.

So the big question is - what has older Layla been doing since she did her "brain dump" on younger Layla???

Also wouldn't she be now free from knowing exactly what was going to happen in the future as now all she knows is 80 years of a possible future not a definite future? The information she had put into her brain would contain exact details of anything after the point where she gave younger Layla that info.

Man does this make your head spin. I love time travel stuff.

I didn't see an artist credited for the back up story. I think his Guido didn't look right.

Peter David is our generations Chris Claremont. I think if he writes another 5 or more years, his X-factor run will be amoung some of the top runs in the history of the industry. There are few people that are masters of the craft and he is one of them.

There are not many writers that can handle the multiple plot threads at once thing, but David is one of the best. I'm excited for 200 next week as well. I think within the next 50 issues, Layla will be back and married to Madrox.

Ska wrote:It stinks.

My issue smelt okay.

this was just awesome on so many levels. it was great to see how layla knows stuff and how it all ended, i wonder where the onder layla is now. i hope we see a little more of her in up coming stories

So Peter David did what I thought was impossible, he took the 90 plot lines he had dangling out there, tied almost every one of them off and then looped the whole thing right back to the very first page of X-Factor #1 or 2, can't recall off the top of my head which it was.

Just a brilliant run, the Secret Invasion stuff was a little weak sauce (stupid editorial mandates), but other than that I enjoyed each and every issue.

Issue 200 looks like it's going back to basics, i.e. the X-Facor Investigations arcs, which is always welcome since the preview was hilarious and intriguing at the same time.

Seriously, one of the best books/runs on a book ever, not just right now, ever.

os mr david going to still be on the book for issue #200?

Yeah he's still writing, the book is getting a new Art team though, not sure who it is right off the top of my head though, it's a definite step up from DeLandro's work, which I always thought got a little inconsistent about once and issue.

Fresh03 wrote:Yeah he's still writing, the book is getting a new Art team though, not sure who it is right off the top of my head though, it's a definite step up from DeLandro's work, which I always thought got a little inconsistent about once and issue.

that is good news

From the preview pannels, I can't say that i'm going to be a fan of the new artist's Strong Guy interpretation. I predict Guido dies within 25 issues from now though. Don't know why I just have a feeling.

hrdwrkngXsoldier wrote:From the preview pannels, I can't say that i'm going to be a fan of the new artist's Strong Guy interpretation. I predict Guido dies within 25 issues from now though. Don't know why I just have a feeling.

I agree. Guido looked completely wrong but I didn't see an artist credited so I'm unsure whether this is going to be a new artist on the series or not.

X-Factor 200, hefty five dollar price tag, but man Peter David packs it to the gills with goodness, I'm so happy to have my X-Facotr back!

X-Factor #200

Book of the week, easy. It's $5 and it's worth every penny. Not all of the hero profiles you will be overwhelmed with joy, nor the reprint of Madrox #1. But what the issue packs is story, and normally that's the part we complain that most of these anniversary issues lack. It'll take you at least 35-minutes to read the actual narrative part (unless you're a speed reader), and that alone should tell you something. As for the story itself, it's great to have the X-Factor "back," meaning they're back in New York City, back to solving superhero agendas, while still tying into what has been a hell of a run from David thus far. His threads aren't going anywhere; an understatement when you see the last page. Looking forward to more of a certain someone's Latverian revelations, the mutiplicity of one Madrox, and more of the crew's interactions/brawls(!) with the rest of the Marvel community.

4.5/5 - Outstanding anniversary issue that should please those slightyly disappointed by issue #50. The artwork is as good as it's been in the book too.

I thought X-Factor #200 was really good and, like those others above me, thought it was packed with goodness. I even liked the reprint.

Did not like the artist though and it looks like he's around for a few more issues at least. Oh well - goodness of story allows me to not get too worried about the art with this book.

I didn't mind the new costumes although I see no reason why Monet would suddenly turn up in a costume that matched the style of the others when she hasn't been with them until this appearance. That doesn't really make sense.

Best of all I love that Layla's back in the present and am enjoying the mystery that still continues around her.

Nation X: X-Factor

Hmmm seemed like a story that could have been done in a couple of pages and was padded out. I normally enjoy Peter David's dialogue but it seems that if you're going to mix with the rest of the X-Men then you need to adopt their "forced cool" dialogue as well. So anyway, a whole book to have X-Factor visit the X-Men and decide not to stay. Thanks for that. Oh and good stuff from Marvel to continue to have books appear out of sequence with current stories because at this stage in X-Factor neither Siryn or Layla have rejoined the team.

They are totally dropping the ball on sequencing, especially in the X-books. Reading New Mutants #9 was very confusing, because your left going.... uh... what about necrosha?

Nation X: X-Factor

Haha. I didn't even realize that about Siryn or Layla. I guess I read too many books. As far as the issue goes, it was rather enjoyable. Like Aussie says, nothing really may have happened that's significant and a lot of the language is actually sorta "Fractionesque." Still, seeing these groups meet, snicker and banter was all worth it for me. I loved the telling of Cyclops future with daughter Ruby (and the cool reflection on the side panel along with it); the interaction between Logan and Scott was a lot like you'd see from the X-Men films; and the little love "triangle" with Rictor, Shatterstar and Boom Boom (no Northstar!). Just fun stuff.

The art from the normally dependable De Landro isn't all that to write home to, but gets the job done. And if you're a big X-Factor and still pick up Uncanny because you just do, you'll enjoy this more than most. Marvel needs a continuity editor, for sure; at the same time I'm not too sure how this book would've faired down the road with the title Nation X. Oh well.

3.5/5 Guido Nerf Footballs - If you like X-Factor and don't mind the continuous Marvel spoiler failings, grab yourself a copy!

A damn shame there's no reviews for this book. Man, this whole forum, all people ever talk about is Siege and Blackest Night. Oh well. Maybe I need a life.

X-Factor #201

Really good issue involving the Dr. Doom/Fantastic Four (so yes, it's not so cornered anymore). Only issue other than Green Lantern #50 I bothered to read twice.

4/5

x-factor is one of the best book out there. it has great action and really funny moments

X-Factor 201:

Peter David continues to prove that he's the king of last page hooks.

As always, very good character work, the action was swift and fun, and the humor was literally laugh out loud funny.

If you're not reading this book, for shame...

Fresh03 wrote:X-Factor 201:

Peter David continues to prove that he's the king of last page hooks.

As always, very good character work, the action was swift and fun, and the humor was literally laugh out loud funny.

If you're not reading this book, for shame...

Have to agree. I love the sense of humour in this book. It doesn't feel silly to me, it feels natural - the way people actually do joke around.

I also enjoy, such as in this issue, that this book is very different from the other X-books and, in fact, pretty different from the rest of Marvel's super-hero books. The whole detective agency for super-heroes is a great idea and makes the book stand out from the rest.

My only complaint at the moment is that I'm not a big fan of the art but I see that Valentine de Landro is back in a couple of issues time.

Oh and I'm really curious as to what Layla is up to? I'm such a fan of the character and now maybe even more so that she's older.

X-Factor #202

Hey, don't blame me for trying to incite a little conversation among Marvel's eventless books. I'm trying. X-Factor has been a favorite of mine since the much publicized/criticized, baby-absorbtion issue. This year, Peter David shifts things a bit, giving us a 3-story arc unlike the year-long threads that many found so difficult to comprehend. While this arc has contained a juicy, fun take on Fantastic Four, I'm not sure David forgot about his own team in the process.

Strong Guy plays babysitter, and fights off a cloned Reed Richards. These scenes, along with those partaining a very Vendetta-inspired Dr. Doom and Layla Miller, are the ones that shine most. The problem is, as readers, we're supposed to care about the disappearance of Invisible Woman and this whole timestreamed Evil Reed that's come back to haunt his kids. With dangerous liasons involved, as well as some generic characterizations, we don't. At least in terms of fun, Peter David continues to make his X-Factor group a wonderfully eclectic one. Thus, more "detective work" involving Madrox (other than his narration), Rictor, and Darwin would've been nice.

The art from Bing Cansino should please many who had problems with it in X-Factor's past. His highly-rendered, detailed characters convey enough emotion to make the usually talky scenes more lively. Cansino also does a fine job with Doom and the few touches of Latveria. Unfortunately, the issue isn't without it's consistencies, as we see a strange mix-up of coloring with Layla and Monet, and quite frankly, I'm not the biggest fan of Cansino's Reed. Other than that, he certainly has brought a breath of fresh air to the title.

3.5/5 Bags&Boards - Now that X-Factor isn't all over the place, and will be crossing over with the other X-titles soon for Second Coming, now's as good of a time to jump on.

You got some 'splainin' to do Layla.

202 was a fun ride, it didn't have the level of character work I'm used to, although the characterizations that were in the book were spot on, this was more action packed than we've seen X-Factor in a while, and withe culmination of the arc coming to a close you kind of expect that as X-Factor/F4 square off with Doom/Reed-Doom on two fronts.

Jeromy Cox messed up the coloring on a couple of panels which distracted me from the art, which has seen a huge improvement since Cansino showed up, neither David nor Cansino are to blame, Cox and Jody Lehup should have caught that one. It's a small complaint, but the confusion could have thrown a new fan for a loop. "Why is Monet doing that?" "Well it's supposed to be Layla Miller, sorry for the mix up."

Anywhoo, nice quick arc that served as a good jumping on point for new fans to give it a try. Plus we start to see those trademark Peter David Spider-webs starting to appear in the back ground again, wonder if it'll take another 50 issues to wrap up, lol.

Anyway, fun and fast paced start to the new era of X-Factor, hopefully some more people are giving one of the best books coming out, period, a try, because Peter David is just warming up.